The first known inhabitants of the gorgeous North Shore of Hawaii settled in the Waialua and Ko'olauloa Districts around 1100 AD, establishing villages along the valleys, streams and bays. Taro and sweet potatoes were the crops of choice in the area. The first Westerners to O'ahu came in 1779 aboard Captain Cook's ship. In 1832, Christian missionaries came and built a mission and girls seminary in Hale'iwa. At the end of the 19th century, the Hale'iwa Hotel was built by the wealthy businessman Benjamin J. Dillingham, which expanded the town immensely by bringing wealthy people to the area for a weekend getaway from Honolulu.

World renowned for its fantastic big wave surf, the North Shore plays host to the Triple Crown of Surfing. Here, you will find surfing greats such as Kelly Slater, Taj Burrow, Andy Irons, Bobby Martinez and Taylor Knoxx competing for the Triple Crown. The contest is held on days when the surf is at its absolute biggest and best for competition, as determined by the Contest Director. The Contest Director determines whether surfing conditions are right and will announce his decision at daybreak every day of the competition. The Men's contests are: OpPro Hawaii (Ali'i Beach Park, Haleiwa, Oahu), O'Neill World Cup of Surfing (Sunset Beach, Oahu) and Rip Curl Pro Pipeline Masters (Banzai Pipeline, Oahu). The Women's contests are: OpPro Hawaii (Ali'i Beach Park, Haleiwa, Oahu), Roxy Pro (Sunset Beach, Oahu) and the Billabong Pro (Honolua Bay, Maui).

The Waimea Valley Audubon Center offers its visitors gentle paths to hike, old stream trails, places to picnic and beautiful gardens to admire, as well as the crystal clear pools beneath Waihi Falls. They are only closed on Christmas and New Year's Day. Every other day, admission is free for children under 4 years old, $5 for children 4-12, $8 for adults and $5 for seniors. There are military and Kama'aina discounts available. If you are an annual passport holder (resident), admission is always free. They are located directly across from Waimea Bay on the mauka (mountain) side of Highway 83. For more information, you may contact them at 808-638-9199.

Come enjoy a taste of the local culture by visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center. There are 7 native villages (Hawaii, Samoa, Maori New Zealand/Aotearoa, Fiji, Tahiti, the Marquesas and Tonga) located on this center that offer a glimpse into island life. Some of the amazing sights you will encounter are the Hawaiian royal court, Maori Warrior, Tongan drums, Tahitian dancing, Samoan tree climbers and Samoan fire knife dancers. Their world-famous evening show, Horizons: Where the Sea Meets the Sky, is a must-see. Toss in a real Hawaiian luau and this becomes the trip of a lifetime.

The Dole Plantation offers visitors a chance to enter into the 2001 Guiness Book of World Record's World's Largest Maze (the Pineapple Garden Maze), rides on the Pineapple Express train and tours of the plantation's wonderful garden. The Pineapple Maze is 1.7 miles and covers over two acres. There are over 11,000 Hawaiian plants that make up this maze, including the state flower, hibiscus. The maze is open 9am-5pm daily and costs $3 for children, $5 for adults. The Pineapple Express departs every half hour between 9am-5pm and takes its riders on a two-mile, 20 minute fully narrated journey through the plantation. It costs $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children 4-12 (children under 4 are free when accompanied by an adult). The Plantation Garden Tour is a self-guided tour that allows you to wander through different gardens on the property where you will learn about plantation villages and the workers that come from all over the world to work Hawaii's sugarcane and pineapple fields. Adults are $3.75 and children 4-12 are $3 (children under 4 are free when accompanied by an adult).

The Laie Hawaii Mormon Temple is located at 55-600 Naniloa Loop in Laie on the northeast shore of Oahu, near BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Visitors must wear their Sunday best and bring their recommend. Cafeteria service and clothing rental is available at the temple. Only members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are allowed entrance into the temple once it is dedicated. For more information on the temple, please call 808-293-2427.

The Kukaniloko Birthstones Monument is one of the most significant cultural sites on Oahu, as this is the site where chiefs were born, famed chiefs lived and where key battles over Oahu were fought. The first chief born here was Kapawa (dates range from 1100 - 1400 AD). This site remained significant for royal births up until the late 1700's, when Kamehameha I wanted to have his son, Liholiho, born here in 1797. The monument has preserved several flat stones that were used by queens for child birth. Approximately 180 stones cover 0.5 acre of land.

The Turtle Bay Golf Resort is set on 880 acres of ocean-front property. It is the only full-service luxury resort on the island of Oahu. Turtle Bay has two championship golf courses: Arnold Palmer and George Fazio. The Arnold Palmer Course at Turtle Bay Resort is contracted to host the PGA's Turtle Bay Championship through 2008. Both the PGA and LPGA have selected Turtle Bay to host several of their prestigious tournaments. The Spa Luana is available for resort guests and day visitors. They offer massage treatments, body treatments, spa treatments, indigenous treatments, skin treatments and full salon services. There are also wedding services available that can be fully catered. There are some wonderful honeymoon packages as well.

The Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau, the "Hill of Escape", is the largest temple on O'ahu, covering over five acres. One of only two places where wives of chiefs went to give birth, this was a powerful place for a kahuna. It is believed that this may also have been a place where human sacrifices were performed. Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau overlooks Waimea Bay and is a registered state historical site, as well as a national landmark. Nothing should be moved or removed from this site, as it is considered sacred to the Hawaiian people.

The westernmost point of the island of Oahu is Ka'ena Point. Ka'ena Point has one of the most unique dune eco-systems in the world and is the exact point where ancient Hawaiians believed the spirit of the dead jumped into the underworld. If successful, the dead would be welcomed into the spirit realm by their "aumakua" (family ancestrial deities). At one time, the dunes found in this area could be found all over the Hawaiian Islands. The dunes on the surrounding Hawaiian Islands have deteriorated over the last 1500 years. Because of this, the Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve was created in 1983 to protect it and the ecosystem that has thrived so well.

The Waialua Sugar Mill was once at the heart of the North Shore plantation lifestyle. There is shopping, manufacturing, surf-related industry, a farmer's market, food and a Waialua Bandstand on the site now. Please visit their website for more information on the many businesses that operate on the grounds of the former sugar mill.

The Dillingham Airfield has one 5000' x 75' runway that is utilized by small single-engine and light twin-engine aircraft, sailplanes, ultra-lights and helicopters. There is a state-operated UNICOM facility, hangars and a tie down area for recreational aircraft only. No other facilities are on the grounds. Mainly, the airfield has been used for glider soaring, hang-gliding, parachuting and sky jumping.

The James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge is comprised of over 160 acres of wetlands in two separate sections near Kahuku on the northeastern shore of Oahu. Originally, the Punamano Pond Unit was a naturally occurring, spring-fed marsh. The Kahuku Sugar Mill reconfigured the marsh into freshwater settling ponds. When the mill closed, the ponds began to dry up. This caused a problem for the water birds that were used to utilizing these ponds. In 1976, the biggest ponds were placed under the protection of the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a national wildlife refuge and continues through a lease made available by the estate of James Campbell. Public entry to the refuge is prohibited unless authorized by the refuge manager or unless you are involved in one of the scheduled tours by staff personnel. Authorization can be obtained by contacting the office Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4pm (808-637-6330).